A Shakespearean horse race

Interesting traditions of a spectacular momentary event.

The race involves 10 horses with bareback riders and lasts no more than 90 seconds — just three laps around the Piazza del Campo. The winner receives no money or medals, simply the palio or drappellone (“the rag”), a silk banner painted by a new artist each year and kept in the contrada’s museum. And bragging rights, of course. “Every year the winner has a place in history,” says Claudio Lenzi, a journalist who was raised in Contrada dell’Onda. “That’s why the horse race is pure passion and a reason to live for us.”

And with so much riding (literally) on the win, underhanded actions abound. “Bribery is the essence of Palio,” Lenzi says. “If a contrada has a losing horse it’s a tradition to sabotage the race.” He points to the Contrada della Torre (Tower) as an example: It won in 2005 after 44 years because all the rivals had been bribed. “That’s why alliances are important,” he says, adding that starting in 2015 police have been more actively involved in keeping the peace.

https://www.ozy.com/good-sht/shakespeare-would-have-loved-this-italian-horse-race/88366